How does the antifa movement use the black flag in its symbolism?
Executive summary
Antifa’s use of the black flag is deliberate and layered: it is most commonly paired with a red flag to signal a historical fusion of anarchist (black) and socialist/communist (red) currents within anti-fascist movements, a visual shorthand that emerged as the original two-red-flag emblem was adapted in the late 20th century [1] [2]. The black flag also carries older anarchist meanings — rejection of the state and formal representation — and is entwined with tactics and identity practices such as black blocs and masked direct action, though both symbolism and practice vary across decentralized groups [3] [4] [5].
1. Origins of the two-flag motif: from Weimar red to modern red-and-black
The emblem antifa uses today descends from the German Antifaschistische Aktion logo of the early 1930s, which originally showed two red flags tied to communist and socialist currents; since the 1980s activists replaced one red flag with a black one to signal the inclusion of anarchist and autonomist currents in contemporary anti-fascist networks [6] [2] [1].
2. What the black flag specifically signifies within antifa iconography
Within modern antifa iconography the black flag is widely read as a symbol of anarchism and autonomism — a political lineage that rejects hierarchical state power and formal party representation — making the black flag a visual shorthand for anti-statist, anti-authoritarian strands within the movement [7] [1] [3].
3. The red-and-black pairing: unity of tactics and traditions
When the black flag is shown alongside a red flag it performs a dual function: it declares ideological kinship with both anti-authoritarian anarchism (black) and organized socialist/communist labor traditions (red), compactly signaling a coalition of direct-action anarchists and leftist organizers who see themselves as jointly opposed to fascism and right-wing extremism [5] [8] [6].
4. Symbolism and street practice: black flags, black blocs, and concealment
The black flag’s association with anarchism overlaps with on-the-ground practices: black bloc dress and the use of masks or scarves to conceal identity are often linked to the same anti-authoritarian ethos that the black flag represents, and observers note that these tactics are used for both self-protection and tactical anonymity during confrontations [4] [5]. Reporting indicates, however, that use of such tactics and of the flag itself is uneven and situational rather than centrally commanded [4].
5. How opponents and media weaponize the symbol — and limits of the record
Political actors and media outlets have repeatedly seized on antifa’s iconography to frame the movement as a singular, organized threat — including official efforts to label antifa a terrorist enterprise and numerous hoaxes that repurpose the flag or images to mislead — but scholars and analysts emphasize antifa’s decentralized nature and the small, diffuse footprint of violent actions in some jurisdictions [4] [9] [7]. The provided sources document these competing narratives, but they do not supply a comprehensive inventory of how every local antifa affinity group chooses to display or interpret the black flag.
6. Competing readings and persistent ambiguities
Scholars and flag historians note alternative readings of the black flag — from a symbolic “absence of a flag” that rejects nation-states to a marker of autonomist identity — and emphasize that the emblem’s meaning has been contested and repurposed over time, so while the black flag reliably signals anti-authoritarian alignment within antifa imagery, exact intent and use vary by context and actor [3] [1] [8].